How to take this picture

[TraceyHill3]

My sister emailed this picture to me and asked if I could do a shot like this for her maternity session. I'll have a few months to get ready because she is barely showing. Could anyone tell me how to do this? Should I use a window or my studio lights? Also, what about my settings? I assume my shutter speed should be pretty high. Any tips would be appreciated and I'll start practicing.

[Rentham]

My guess: That's on a 9' roll of white seamless with some white tile board beneath her. Two flagged lights on the background to blow it to pure white, main light on the subject turned off. Relatively close to the background to get the wrapping light on her. Shutter speed is probably in the 125th area, aperture depends on how much light you have to blow the background to white.

[DanaLane]

Basically what Rentham said.

If I were going to shoot this, I'd put her on white seamless paper with some glossy tile board on the floor for the reflection. I'd use 2 or 4 lights on the background and overexpose the background by maybe 1/2 a stop. I'd place a white reflector just under the camera to give her just that little bit of detail instead of having her full silhouette.

[i speak in math]

They've nailed it. just light the background and let the spill fill in some of the detail. Here's one that is using almost the same technique, just lit the background, no key light.



Model: PENTAX K20D
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/180 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Focal Length: 28mm

[TraceyHill3]

Thanks for the great tips!

@ I speak in math, you did nail it! Did you use seamless paper as your background?

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by TraceyHill3

Thanks for the great tips!

@ I speak in math, you did nail it! Did you use seamless paper as your background?

I actually just used a white queen sized sheet with a flash behind it firing back towards me. With enough distance, it will hit the whole sheet and make it white.